Shannon Schreib

For Shannon Schreib, loving to interact with people isn’t a perk of the job, it is the job. As a People Center Supervisor at MSA Safety, she works every day to support over 2,000 people in their Northern North America operations. However, she didn’t start out there. Shannon began her career at MSA as a Customer Service Representative and in an unexpected turn, United Way played a special role in helping her find her calling. “On my third day on the job I started volunteering with United Way at MSA. The person that ran the MSA United Way campaign was an HR Director. This relationship gave me the opportunity to ask a lot of questions and learn what HR was all about.” That gentleman became one of Shannon’s mentors and ultimately coached her to pursue an internal opportunity to do what she loved most  – helping people as a human resources professional. She believes that when young people get involved in United Way it can help them grow important career skills. Thinking of her own journey she shared, “as a United Way volunteer, I was able to flex my leadership skills before I had the opportunity to become a people manager.”

United Way also holds a special place for Shannon because she was once a beneficiary. “I grew up in a really loving family, but my parents divorced at a pretty young age and there were financial struggles. United Way helped us afford basic needs at the time and I feel really fortunate today to be in a position to give back and pay it forward.”

Shannon sits on the board of United Way of Southwestern PA and also on the Women’s Leadership Council’s Executive Committee. “I’ve just found a home with United Way and Women’s Leadership Council. I appreciate the work they do and I’m amazed at how careful they are with every penny. They go through a very thorough process to vet the organizations that they partner with and contribute to. The more I know, the more impressed I am.”

Shannon shares her enthusiasm with other women. “Regardless of who you are or what you do, at the end of the day, we’re all people and we need each other. Join WLC, because there is nothing like being with like-minded women working together to create positive change for others. Together we will break down barriers and enable our neighbors to thrive and succeed. It’s a very easy mission to grasp on to.”

To learn more about United Way’s Women’s Leadership Council, contact Lynne Popash at lynne.popash@unitedwayswpa.org in Allegheny County or Terri Dominick at Terri.Dominick@unitedwayswpa.org in Westmoreland & Fayette County or Sherrie Dunlap Gallagher at sherrie.dunlapgallagher@unitedwayswpa.org in Butler & Armstrong County.